Driving-gear mechanism for washing-machines.



T.' W. CHAPMAN. l `DRIVING. GEAR MBGHANISM P911 WASHING4 MACHINES.

APPLICATION IIED SEPT. 5, 1911.

2 SHEETS-#SHEET 1.

Patented Dec. 12,1911:

' T. W. CHAPMAN. DRIVING GEAR MEUHANISM FOR WASHING. MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 12,1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT oE-EIoE- TIIERON W. cHArNIANOERELvIDERE, ILLINOIS,AssIGNoR `To NATIONAL SEWING MACHINE eoIvIrhNY, OE BELVIDERE, ILLrNOIs,A CORPORATION OE ILLINOIS.

DRIVING-GEAR I s/IEoHANIsMfEoR WASHINGJVIAGEINES.

Specification of Letters latent.

To all whom 'it may concer/m, l Be it known that I, THERON W. CHAPMAN,

. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Belvidere, in thecounty of Boone and 1 full,clear, and exact description thereof,reference' being had `to the accompanying draw ings',l and to .theletters of reference marked thereon, which formia part of thisspecification..` f Y .This invention relates to an improvement inAdriving gear mechanism for washing machines and the like and consistsof the mata,`

ters hereinafter described and more particu-l and as shown in thedrawingthe bracket 15B- -ly isprovided with a casing 15b inclosingsaidThe invention as shown herein is applied toawashing machine of afamiliar type i', comprising atub orreceptacle for contain# therein.ingthe clothes and water, and provided with imparted larly pointed outinthe appended claims.

a beater mounted on a shaft depending through the lid into the tub andadapted to be given an oscillating rotary movement by the drivingmechanism, so that the clothes are agitated by a stirring motion irs'tin' one direction and then in a reverse direction. The driving mechanismis ofthe high-speed, lever-operated kind and includes a iy-wheel adaptedfor continuous rotation in one directionv by reason of' which the effortrequiredto operate the machine, once it has Vbeen started, is greatlyreduced.4

In the drawings z--Figure l is a view representing a front elevation ofa washing machine provided with -my improved driving mechanism'. Fig. 2is a -view representin Aa horizontal section through Fig. `1 on the lme,2-*2 thereof. Fig. 3 is a view representing a top plan view "of thewasher'. Fig. 4 is a view representing a vertical section through thatpart ofthe operating mechanism 1ocated below the tub.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in thedrawings, 10 indicates thetub-which 'is of familiar construe tion andhas four upright legs 11, upon which 'it issu'pported. Said legs arerigidly braced apart near their lower ends by diagonally arranged bars11a, 11, which also, as

Will presently appear, act to support the part ofthe driving'mechani'smlocated below 4the tub. IThe tubfhas' ahinged lid 12 of the tub. Thehinges 12a are 'provided on their leaves xed to the board 12 withupright angular plates 12b, 12b, which form- Stops adapted to limit theswinging movementof the lid when the same is turned Patented Dee. [12,1911. Appucation inea september 5,1911.' seria1N0.e47,7s7.

backward on its hinges, and to support the lid in open position.

14 indicates the usual beater, and 15 a shaft to the lower end of whichsaid beater is rigidly secured, said shaft depending through an aperturein the hingedlid and being. rotatively suspended therefrom by means of abracket 15a. Above the lid a spur-gear 16 is keyed to `the beater shaft15,

gear, so as to prevent the clothing or sleeve of the operator frombecoming entangled Oscillating rotative movement is to vsaid gear bymeans of a longitudinally reciprocating rod or bar 17 prol vided on onelateral edge with rack-teeth 17, which mesh with the teeth of thespurgear 16. The rack-teeth 17al `are protected by a plate 18 secured tothe top face of the bar A17I in position to cover said teeth. v Saidplate also acts to limit the downward movement of said rod by itsengagement with the top faces of the teeth of the gear 16. 'Therack-teeth 172l are held in engagement with the teeth of the gear 16 bymeans of an angle-bar 19 secured. to the top ofthe lid 12 and havingbearing engagement with vthe outer lateral edge of the bar 17 One end ofthe bar 17 is pivotally connected yto the upper end of a` lever 20 whichis fulcrumed intermediate its ends' to a bracket-arm 21 secured to theside of the tub body. 22 indicates a prime-mover in the form of ahand-controlled lever which is fulcrumed intermediate its ends andnearer its lower end to a bracket arm 23 secured to the leversare'operatively connected together by.

means lof two parallel horizontal odsor vlinks 24, 25, the one,24havi npivo vl connection with `the lowerend of t ,e han -leve'r 22, and theother, 25,"having pivotal con'nection with the lower end of the lever20,and by means of a walking-beam'26, which is pivotally connected at itsopposite ends to the respect/ivev rods or links 24, 25. Saidwalking-beam 26 is pivotally mounted at a point midway of its ends toswing in yav hori* zontal plane on a stud 27, which rises verticallyfrom a bracket 28 secured to the braces 11a which connect the legs ofthe tub.

l As shown, the bracket 28 consists of a semi` circular casting which isrigidly secured to the cross-braces 11". It is apparent from thisconstruction that by oscillating the hand-lever 22 toward and away fromthe tub body, oscillatory movement will be im arted ranged to be rotatedcontinuously in one direction by the operatin mechanism. Said fly-wheel,as shown in t e drawings, is located below the tub body on a verticalshaft 31, which has rotative bearing at its upper end kin a socket 31aformed in a bar 32 secured to the bottom wall 10a of the tub, and havingrotative bearing at its lower end in a socket 33 formed in a bar 33which, as

` illustrated, is in the form of an integral,

radial arm of the semi-circular bracket 28 'on which the walking-beam 26is pivotally mounted. In the socket 33 is located a half round ball 33bwhich rests in the bottom of said socket and presents its upper roundedsurface to the flat end of the fly-wheel shaft 31, which has thrustbearing against it. This construction provides a very simpleantifriction bearing for the fly-wheel so that it will rotate withlittle or no friction. On

. the shaft 31 abovethe bar 33 is fixed a pinion 37. 34 indicates alarge gear in meshwith the pinion 37 and provided on its upper face witha crank-pin 35. Said gear 34 is rotatively mounted on a stud 34EL risingfrom the semi-circular bracket 28. A pitman 36 connects said crank-pinwith the end of the walking-beam 26 to which the link 24 is connected.It is apparent that each oscillatory movement of the walking-beam 26will be transformed by the pitman into a continuous rotary movement ofthe gear 34 and Hthis, transmitted lthrough the pinion 37, causes acontinuous rotary movement of the shaft 31. and ily-wheel 30. Thus, byoscillating the hand-lever 22, oscillating rotary movement will beimparted to the which `directly operates the beater-shaft, f

may be swung vertically upward out of the way on its pivotal connectionwith the handlever 22. Said hand-lever is preferably provided at itsupper end with a socket 22a to receive a wooden handle 22h. F orconvenience in operating the lever 22, a stirrup 22e is preferablyformed at its lower end for working it by means of the foot.

I claim as my invention l 1. Mechanism for operating washing machinesand the like comprising in combinaw tion with a supporting body and anoperating shaft rotatively supported thereby, a prime moving leverfulcrumed to the side of said body, a second lever fulcrumed to the sideof said body and adapted to oscillate in a plane parallel to the planeof oscillation of said prime moving lever, a walkingbeam pivoted tooscillate in a plane at right angles to the planes of oscillation ofsaid levers, means operatively connecting said walking-beam with saidlevers, mechanisml intermediate said second lever and said operatinglshaft adapted to impart oscillating, rotary movement to said shaft, ay-wheel rotatively supported by said body, and means intermediate saidwalking-beam and said fly-wheel adapted to transform the:

oscillating movement of said walking beam into a continuous rotarymovement of sail fly-wheel.

2. Mechanism for operating washing ma chines and the like comprising incombina.- tion with a supporting body,l and an operating shaftrotatively supported thereby, a prime-moving lever fulcrumedintermediate its ends to the side of said body,'a second lever fulcrumedintermediate its ends to the side of said body and adapted to oscillatein a plane parallel to the plane of oscillation of said prime-movinglever, a walking-beam A pivotally supported below said body, meansoperatively' connecting said walking-beam with said levers, mechanismintermediate said second lever and said operating shaft adapted toimpart oscillating, rotary movement to said shaft, a y-wheel rotativelymounted below said body, and means intermediate said walking-beam andsaid flywheel adapted to transform the oscillating movement of saidwalking-beam into a continuous rotary movement of said fly-wheel.

3. Mechanism for operating washing ma-V chines and the like comprisingin combination with a supporting body and an o erating shaft -rotativelysupported there y, a prime-movin its `ends to te side ofsaid body, asecond lever fulcrumed intermediateits ends to the lever fulcrumedintermediate-` side of said body and adapted to oscillate in a planeparallel to the plane of oscillation of said operating` lever, awalking-.beam pivoted below said body to oscillate in a 5 horizontalplane, links connecting the opposite ends of said Walking-beam With saidlevers, a longitudinallyreciprocating rackbar having pivotal connect-ionWith the upper end of said second lever, a gear on said 10 operatingshaft in mesh with said rack-bar,

a horizontal flywheel rotatively mounted below saidv body, and meansintermediate said Walking-beam and said fly-Wheel adapted to transformthe oscillatlng movement of said Walking-beam .into a continuous l5rotary movement of said fly-Wheel. In testimony, that I claim theforegoing as my invention I aiiix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses, this 25th day 1 of August A. D. 1911.

' THERON W. CHAPMAN. Witnesses:

FRANK L. GOODRICH, CLARENCE B. A'rwoonl

